Portrait of the Artist

Shahzia Sikander often explores the traditions of Indo-Persian miniature painting, bringing the formal elements of that discipline into the depiction of her own identity as a Muslim American. In reinvigorating the traditional, Sikander has turned to video art and digital animation. She was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 2006.

This self-portrait exhibits Sikander’s mastery of drawing and her sophisticated manner of layering. Anchored by beautifully etched likenesses that are bathed in the colors of a sunrise, the images reference the historical Miraj paintings of the visionary night journey of Prophet Muhammad. The white silhouette of a horse-riding figure serves as a metaphor for the journey for artistic truth. As self-portraits, these works reveal powerful, complex, and nuanced insights into Muslim American identity.